Apus constellation
Apus is one of the 88 constellations, and it represents the bird of paradise. It is highest in the sky at midnight around May 24, and its whole figure rises above the horizon from 11°N to 90°S.
Apus at a glance
- Represents
- the bird of paradise
- Highest at midnight
- May 24
- Highest at 9 pm
- July 8
- Seen whole from
- 11°N to 90°S
- Stars in the figure
- 3 stars
- Origin
- Dutch navigators, 1590s
When to see Apus
Apus is highest in the sky at midnight around May 24 and at 9 pm around July 8. Each month it is highest about two hours earlier than the month before.
The times are local solar time. Clocks on daylight saving time read about one hour later.
| Date | Highest at |
|---|---|
| January 15 | 8:30 a.m. |
| February 15 | 6:30 a.m. |
| March 15 | 4:40 a.m. |
| April 15 | 2:30 a.m. |
| May 15 | 12:40 a.m. |
| June 15 | 10:30 p.m. |
| July 15 | 8:30 p.m. |
| August 15 | 6:30 p.m. |
| September 15 | 4:30 p.m. |
| October 15 | 2:30 p.m. |
| November 15 | 12:30 p.m. |
| December 15 | 10:30 a.m. |
Where to look for Apus
From the northern hemisphere
From 40°N, Apus never rises. You need to be south of 12°N to see any of it.
From the southern hemisphere
From 35°S, Apus never sets. It circles the pole and is highest around midnight on May 24, 46° above the southern horizon.
Brightest stars in Apus
None of the stars of Apus is brighter than magnitude 2.3, so it is best seen from a dark place away from city lights. Its brightest stick-figure stars are about magnitude 3.
Apus in myth and history
Apus was added in the 1590s from the southern stars that the Dutch navigators Pieter Dirkszoon Keyser and Frederick de Houtman recorded.
Constellations next to Apus
Find Apus in your sky
Questions about Apus
Apus is highest in the sky at midnight around May 24 and at 9 pm around July 8. The weeks around those dates are the best time to look.
The whole figure of Apus rises above the horizon from 11°N to 90°S, and at least part of it rises from 12°N to 90°S.
Apus represents the bird of paradise. Apus was added in the 1590s from the southern stars that the Dutch navigators Pieter Dirkszoon Keyser and Frederick de Houtman recorded.